21 Stories of the Côtes du Rhône Villages

Cotes-du-Rhone Villages is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC) in the southern Rhone wine region of France. where red, white and rose wines are produced.

Only 21 select areas in the south of the Cotes du Rhone region claim the ‘Village’ title. Strict regulations mean only ripe, low-yielding vines are used bringing more complexity and the heartiest flavour-packed wines making them perfect for aging. In the southern part of the Rhone Valley, the vines grow on terraces, on the river’s alluvial plains and on slopes leading up to the region’s iconic hilltop villages. A separate category was introduced within the Cotes du Rhone appellation in 1967 to showcase the quality and outstanding character of these wines and to give them more prominence. 21 of these villages are permitted to specify the name of the village where the wine was produced – Cotes du Rhone Villages with geographical name, or Cotes du Rhone Villages Communaux.